This invention relates generally to the handling of stored elements or goods and is particularly directed to the automatic storage and retrieval of elements positioned within a secured bin or drawer.
Inventory control and management is an important part of any organization involved in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of goods. It is important not only to know the number and types of items in stock, but also to ensure that these items are located in an assigned place from which they may be easily retrieved. Since in most environments the items are at some point handled by a worker, it is desirable to minimize the possibility of human error in the categorizing, storing and retrieval of these items. This is critically important where the items are substantially identical in appearance but are substantially dissimilar and possibly even unrelated in operation and function.
One environment where this situation frequently occurs is in the handling of electronic components used in the fabrication of electrical circuits and apparatus where several categories of electronic components may be substantially identical in appearance. Frequently these components are provided with unique identification markings, but these indicia are typically difficult to see much less identify particularly when positioned upon a small object such as the typical electronic component. The intermixing of electronic components of various types or of various electronic components of the same type having a range of operating characteristics or parameters frequently results in inaccurate and unreliable circuit fabrication or may even preclude circuit fabrication unless complicated component handling procedures are strictly followed. The problem becomes even more severe where marginally trained workers handle very large numbers of components such as in the large scale manufacture of consumer-type electronic products.
The present invention is intended to provide a solution to the aforementioned problems in the storage and retrieval of stock items such as electronic components wherein the possibility of human error in the handling of these items is essentially eliminated by the automatic, computer controlled accessing of only that storage container or bin uniquely assigned to or associated with a given item.